my guy is 4 months old. he walks and run run with a limp, seemingly on his right side. the limp has been really noticeable for as long as its been a "mature" teenager. looking back now however i do believe it has always had the limp. even after birth my son and i both thought one of the chicks "walked funny". it was very imperceptible and unfortunately i think i missed and dismissed it. when you feel his right side its pelvis/thigh area seems "off"...perhaps not developed. otherwise the legs seems fine. the chicken allows me to move the leg and i can bend it without the chicken going bonkers. all of these clues lead me to think maybe he just has a birth defect. ive also read up on spraddle leg, slipped tendons, and mareks disease. other than the limp the chicken is fine. eats and drinks as he should. roams with the flock however he does seems to get tired quicker and plops down to rest before the others do. he has been making up to the roost in the chick pen i have which is about 1 foot off the ground. he doesnt really act distressed. ive included two videos. i currently have 5 laying hens and this guy is part of a group of 7 we recently hatched ourselves.....but admittedly i still consider myself a newbie to the chicken world. any help is appreciated
Hi! Welcome To BYC You may want to make your videos public so we can see them Without seeing what's going on and going by your description, he may have had some type of injury that did not heal properly when he was young or it's possible that he may have a genetic/developmental disorder. There are a few illnesses like Mycoplasma synoviae that affect the hocks as well - but you would most likely see swelling and discoloration at the joint. If he has had difficulty all his life, then most likely he will have to learn to live with his disability. You can offer supportive care by offering extra poultry vitamins that contains B2(riboflavin) once a week and give him extra protein like egg, tuna, mackerel or meat. Let us know how he is doing.
